The Experience, Emeryville: Celebration of the Arts @ Public Market Artists

The Experience:

Meet two artists!

On Wednesdays through Sundays, you can make an event of visiting Emeryville’s Annual Art Exhibition at the southern part of Public Market Emeryville and then pop into the Food Hall for a bite to eat. This juried exhibition produced by Celebration of the Arts, features nearly 200 artworks created by 126 Emeryville artists and the Food Hall features 20 eateries and bars.

We had the opportunity to talk with Jess Cook and her husband Roberto Gastelumendi about their pieces in their first appearance at the 37th Emeryville Art Exhibition. Jess’ artwork Babosas (featured here) is a water-based stencil on bamboo ply. These are California’s enigmatic banana slugs, which were inspired by a camping trip by a riverside in San Mateo Memorial Park.

“These gastropods clung tightly to the underskirts of the river’s banks in the heat of the day,” explains Jess, “except for one brave soul sending itself on a slime rope swing into the river.” This behavior sent her investigating with their 4-year-old as to the possible inspirations for such an escapade. And thus, the inspiration for Babosas.

Her husband Roberto is a fine woodworker and creates furniture for the aesthetic and the functional. “I am working to create an experience with my furniture pieces,” he says. “They represent how I am always trying to tell a story, looking at the meeting of difference, and making things better. From when they enter a room, I want to create something that calls people’s attention, and gives them a feeling, an invitation.” He goes on to explain how he is also experimenting with a form that adapts to bodies in an organic way and improves the way people interact with the things around them.

What draws Roberto to Emeryville? “Emeryville is well-located, diverse culturally, translating in between two iconic and culturally-different cities.”

Jess continues, “I currently ideate, draw, and cut my work on our boat in Emeryville.” What draws her to Emeryville is the water and the ecosystem. “Especially this stretch from the mud flats and the migrating birds that frequent it, to the Emeryville Marina Park to Point Emery. We are almost-daily visitors, dipping in and out of the tidal beaches, greeting the resident seal, welcoming the pelicans and thanking the sun as it sets across the water.”

The art exhibition is open Wed – Sun, 11am – 6pm, through October 29.

Celebration of the Arts

The Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition is sponsored by Emeryville Celebration of the Arts, Inc. Their mission is to foster an appreciation of the arts and artists of Emeryville, to promote the city as a culturally vital and progressive center for living and working, and, most recently, to partner with the City of Emeryville in the Rotten City Emeryville Cultural Arts District, a program of the California Arts Council.